The February issue of Bon Appetit has a great article on braising that includes this delicious one-pot chicken dish. Chicken pieces are dredged in seasoned flour and browned, then slowly braised with tomatoes prosciutto, roasted peppers, pearl onions, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, wine and Port.

Chicken pieces are braised with prosciutto, vegetables and Port

I made this a day ahead to allow the flavours to blend. While the recipe includes directions on how to thicken the sauce, I left it as is and it was great.

Portuguese Chicken

Ingredients in this recipe that may include additives and preservatives include the canned tomatoes, roasted peppers, prosciutto, white wine, Dijon mustard and butter. I used Unico tomatoes and roasted peppers, President’s Choice grainy Dijon mustard and Gay Lea unsalted butter. Ask your butcher or the person at the deli counter to check the ingredients for the prosciutto; you should be able to find a brand with just pork and salt. Use a wine with no sulfites added or substitute water or organic chicken broth.

Look for prosciutto without artificial preservatives

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
1 3- to 3 1/4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
12 cipolline onions or 1-inch-diameter pearl onions, blanched 1 minute, peeled
2 large roasted red peppers from jar, halved, cut into 3/4-inch-wide strips
6 large garlic cloves, pressed
4 large fresh Italian parsley sprigs
4 large fresh bay leaves, bruised
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup tawny Port
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk 1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in large bowl. Add chicken pieces to seasoned flour, 1 at a time, and turn to coat. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add chicken, skin side down, and sauté until brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to large ovenproof pot and arrange in a single layer; reserve skillet.

Top chicken with tomatoes and juice, prosciutto, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, and bay leaves; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Add wine and Port to reserved skillet. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Remove from heat. Whisk in mustard and tomato paste; pour mixture over chicken and bring to boil. Cover; transfer to oven.

Braise chicken until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Discard bay leaves and parsley. Using tongs, transfer chicken and toppings to platter. Return sauce in pot to simmer. If thicker sauce is desired, stir 1 tablespoon flour and butter in small bowl until smooth paste forms. Add flour paste to sauce and whisk to blend. Simmer until sauce thickens to desired consistency, whisking often. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken and serve. Serves 4.

From the February 2011 issue of Bon Appetit